Glenn Guilbeau: LSU heads into 2011 after rocky offseason

BATON ROUGE - Kickoff for LSU's 2011 football season is less than two weeks away, and it cannot arrive soon enough. The offseason between 2010 and 2011 has been probably the rockiest in LSU history:

» In January, it was coach Les Miles to Michigan for the second time in four years. But again he stayed and got a nice contract extension, yet no raise, and the contract still has not been put before the LSU Board of Supervisors.

» Throughout the spring, there were accusations of a $100 handshake between an unknown booster and an LSU recruit on "Real Sports" with Bryant Gumbel on HBO as well as possible improper relations between LSU and Houston-based prep scout Willie Lyles.

» In July, an NCAA official was on the LSU campus to interview Miles and members of his staff about their contacts with Lyles, who is also the subject of an NCAA investigation of Oregon concerning him possibly steering recruits to that school under the auspices of payments to him for recruit information and film.

Oregon paid Lyles $25,000 last year for his "services." LSU has paid Lyles, or his scouting companies, $26,000 over the last three years for "services" as well.

Interestingly, No. 4 LSU opens the season against No. 3 Oregon, which has also had its share of run-ins with authorities this offseason, in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 3. Should Lyles toss the coin for this season-opening Adversity Bowl?

» Also in July, the NCAA concluded its two-year investigation of LSU concerning former signee Akiem Hicks and made its final ruling. LSU was found guilty of major violations for the first time since 1986. This could impact Miles' new contract, which remains unapproved and unsigned.

» Also in July, LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard had to be scratched from the Southeastern Conference Media Days press conferences because he was and remains the subject of an NCAA investigation into his off-campus, summer living arrangement. Shepard could be suspended from the season opener.

» In August, Miles and new offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe, who was hired to try to rejuvenate struggling quarterback Jordan Jefferson's career, announced that Kragthorpe had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and would be stepping down as offensive coordinator and play caller but remaining as quarterbacks coach.

» Last Thursday, nearly two dozen football players broke a 10:30 p.m. curfew to go to Shady's bar just off campus. A major fight in the parking lot near the bar ensued between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Friday with four male non-football players being treated at a local hospital. Baton Rouge Police said Sunday the fight started when one of the four non-players, who would be injured, blew his horn to move a crowd out of his way.

In the crowd were many football players, some of whom, according to witnesses interviewed by police, then got physical with the driver. Based on interviews with multiple witnesses, police immediately implicated only starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson for being involved in the fight.

» On Saturday, police interviewed the four non-football players injured in the fight, and they all said they want to press charges.

These interviews also implicated three more players in addition to Jefferson - true freshman wide receiver Jarvis Landry of Lutcher, offensive tackle Chris Davenport of Mansfield and linebacker Josh Johns of Baton Rouge.

All four of the players were told to report to Baton Rouge Police headquarters this morning at 9 a.m. for questioning and possible arrest on battery-related charges if not today, later in the week.

» On Sunday, Baton Rouge attorney Nathan Fisher said he would be representing the four players and he postponed the meeting with police set for this morning.

This bar fight is easily the shadiest off-field event in the six years Miles has been LSU's coach.

He is on the verge of having two quarterbacks with criminal records as new sophomore transfer Zach Mettenberger was found guilty on two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery of a woman in the spring of 2010 and was sentenced with a pair of 12-month probationary periods, a $2,000 fine and 40 hours of community service.

Mettenberger was kicked off Georgia's team before transferring to Butler Community College for the 2010 season.

Jefferson could get much worse than that, or maybe less. Battery is a serious charge whether it is classified as a felony, depending on the details, or the lesser misdemeanor.

Regardless of what happens legally, Jefferson's status for the Oregon game will remain in doubt. Miles suspended Perrilloux for a game after his involvement in a bar fight in 2007, and Perrilloux was never arrested for that. The difference is Jefferson had no previous, public run-ins with the law until Friday. Perrilloux had a history. Playing status could also be the least of Jefferson's problems.

How Miles handles the possible arrest of his players, including one of his favorite players in Jefferson, on serious charges in the coming day or days will strongly illustrate his character.

Miles sounded ready to suspend multiple players on Saturday, regardless of what police find.

And do not be surprised if Miles rides all this adversity and a new quarterback to the national championship.

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Glenn Guilbeau: LSU heads into 2011 after rocky offseason

BATON ROUGE - Kickoff for LSU's 2011 football season is less than two weeks away, and it cannot arrive soon enough. The offseason between 2010 and 2011 has been probably the rockiest in LSU history:»